News & Events 

Funding opportunities to benefit teachers

Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation is pleased to invite ONLINE applications for grants and scholarships from the John Russell Applegate Fund for Teachers.

Training and Support Grants

Approximately $100,000 is available for Training and Support Grants this year.

Apply ONLINE for Grants at MidNebraskaFoundation.org

Grant applications will be considered for training or support for K-12 teachers at elementary and secondary schools located in Nebraska counties of Custer, Dawson, Frontier, Hayes, Hooker, Keith, Lincoln, Logan, McPherson, Perkins and Thomas.

• Training Grants between $500 and $10,000 each will be awarded for training and/or instructional coaching benefiting several teachers in any of the following ways:
• Training for teachers in research-based or proven practices to teach language arts, mathematics and/or science.
• Training for teachers in classroom behavior management strategies.
• Training for teachers in learning styles and differentiated instructional strategies.

Support Grants between $500 and $5,000 each will be awarded to help acquire resources wanted by K-12 teachers at elementary and secondary schools to provide innovative and effective learning experiences for students.  Grants for general-purpose computers will not be awarded.  Grants for only a limited number of other specific types of devices in any school building will be awarded.

Each application for a Training and Support Grant must be initiated or endorsed by a K-12 teacher and approved by an authorized official of grant-seeking organization.

Apply ONLINE for Grants at MidNebraskaFoundation.org

Training and Support Grants will be awarded at three different times during the school year.  Deadlines for applications are October 15, January 15, and April 15.

Education Scholarships

Around 12 scholarships up to $3,000 each will be awarded next spring.

• Applicants for Applegate Scholarships must be either:

             (a) current education major at college junior or senior level pursuing a Baccalaureate Degree in Education, or

             (b) current teacher or someone pursuing transitional teaching certification who is pursuing additional postsecondary education leading to an endorsement or a Master’s Degree in Education beneficial in K-12 education.

• Applicants must be residents of the Nebraska counties of Custer, Dawson, Frontier, Hayes, Hooker, Keith, Lincoln, Logan, McPherson, Perkins or Thomas.

Apply ONLINE for Scholarships at MidNebraskaFoundation.org

Applications open January 1, 2023 with a deadline of February 28, 2023.

About the benefactor

The Fund perpetuates the legacy of John Russell Applegate (1944-2003), who lived most of his life around Sutherland, Nebraska in Lincoln County.  John was the son of Harvey and Geraldine Applegate.  The Applegate family was well known in the cattle ranching industry and John was very much at home on horseback.

John served honorably in the U.S. Army in Vietnam.  At his death, John left a generous bequest to Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation establishing an endowment fund.  Each year a portion of the fund is spent on education, training, and support of teachers.

New faces added to the Mid Nebraska Community Foundation team

As the foundation, so has our staff.  We are happy to induce you to Evana Hardening and Heidi King.

Evanna Hardin grew up in the Sandhills and attended UNK, where she earned a BS in Business Administration.  She’s worked in several industries during her career, including human resources in the banking industry and the State of Wyoming. 

Evanna and her husband, Dave, have been married for 28 years and live in Arthur County, where they raised their 2 daughters.  Since becoming empty nesters this year, they have purchased motorcycles. Evanna's goal this month to travel at least 400 miles on her Harley Davidson Iron 883.    

Evanna is the Data Systems Manager and implemented our new One Application system for scholarships and the Online Grant Portal. 

Heidi King is originally from Fort Collins, Colorado, and attended college in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where she earned a degree in music.

Heidi is an extremely talented singer and travels all over the world with her singing group and will be traveling to New Zealand next year to perform.

She enjoys spending time with her two dogs, Boots and Marcy, and riding her horse, Hugo.

Heidi is our new office manager.

We have pleased to have these talented women on our Team.

North Platte Giving Day raises $423,138 for local nonprofits

Donations, sponsored cash prizes and earned matching funds raised $423,138 for 68 local nonprofits during North Platte Giving Day campaign.

Most donors gave online.  Checks also were counted in the total if received at one of the five giving sites or if mailed by Giving Day May 4.  Donations came from 17 states spanning from New York City to... Click for the rest of the story.   

Community Foundation elects officers for 2022-23

Joe Staroska was elected president of Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation for the fiscal year beginning June 1, 2022.  Other officers elected by the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors are: Charles Burwick, vice president, and Maris Schad, secretary-treasurer.

Staroska is an owner and general manager of Weathercraft Companies in North Platte.  Staroska has served 4 years on the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors and has chaired its Grant Committee.  

Dan O'Neill was elected to return to the Community Foundation's Board of Directors.  

Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation primarily serves North Platte, Lincoln County and the 11 nearby counties of Arthur, Custer, Dawson, Frontier, Hayes, Hooker, Keith, Logan, McPherson, Perkins and Thomas.  In the past 12 months, the funds of the Community Foundation paid out well over $2 million in scholarships for college students and grants to non-profit organizations.  

There are many advantages to donors and their advisors in working with the Community Foundation.  Most of the funds administered by the Community Foundation are lasting legacies for donors that support charitable causes in a tax-advantaged manner.  The Community Foundation also administers charitable funds for many other nonprofit organizations.